Rejoice! I'm a Slacker...

I know I planned to take a bit of a break, but it has been too long since I've written.
Sorry!

There have been several things I've wanted to share, but never got around to getting together. I am working on something for Easter, but haven't fully hashed it out like I'd like either. The weather has been nowhere near as foggy and cloudy as my brain as been. I'm getting desperate for some sunny, mental weather!
God has also been teaching me so much recently. I fact, I feel like He's come to the point of totally reworking this flawed clay jar. (Jeremiah 18:1-6) I am raw from it! But it's such a sweet time knowing He cares so to work these things out in me.

One lesson that is shining clear through - and because of - all this has to do with Psalm 139:23-24:

  Search me, God, and know my heart;

    test me and know my concerns.

    See if there is any offensive way in me;

    lead me in the everlasting way.

It was said to me this week, "Every time you fail - every time you sin, yet again - thank the Lord. Thank Him that He is answering your prayer to search your heart and reveal your offensive ways. Thank Him for His faithfulness which covers you in His righteousness. Rejoice!"


Rejoice, Tiffany! 

Addicted

Have you ever been addicted to something?

I'm not just talking about drugs, alcohol, porn, or any of the other "bad" stuff. It could be checking the news, caffeine, Facebook, or even a certain routine in your life that brings relief or comfort. What ever it might be, if you've been without for a while, you know what the first sip or look does for you: A big sigh of relief and an internal quiver of calm. Ahhhhh.....


That was me this morning and I never realized I was addicted till that Ahhh-calming moment came: I picked up my Bible and took up reading in 2 Kings. That "calm" came from reading a list of what kings had killed, fought, and seceded whom, must be from the Lord.

Thank you Lord, that I'm addicted to Your Word. I'm sorry that I was gone so long from just Your Words and not stuff about you. I love you. Help me feed my addiction. Every day.

Most Don't Like

On the way home last night after a 3 day trip, my 7 year old son spoke up out of the blue at about 1 AM...

     "Mom, do you know what the second thing is that I most don't like?"

   "Um...no hunny. What?"

     "Fake sugar."

   "Really???" Long pause...... "What's the first?"

     "The Devil."

   "Good choice."


I think it's important to most not like the things that really matter :)

The Necessity of SALT

Then the men of the city said to Elisha, "Even though our lord can see that the city's location is good, the water is bad and the land unfruitful."
    He replied, "Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it."
    After they had brought him one, Elisha went out to the spring of water, threw salt in it, and said, "This is what the LORD says: 'I have healed this water. No longer will death or unfruitfulness result from it.' "Therefore, the water remains healthy to this very day according to the word that Elisha spoke.
2 Kings 2:19-22


"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It's no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled on by men."
Matthew 5:13


"For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt should lose its flavor, how can you make it salty? Have salt among yourselves and be at peace with one another."
Mark 9:49-50


"Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person."
Colossians 4:5-6


We are to be salt.


I find it interesting that there is no such thing as an allergy to salt (sodium) itself. Salt is necessary for life, both spiritually and medically. What people have developed, are allergic reactions to the additives or chemical processes in getting pretty, white salt. 


Isn't it enlightening to know it's what man adds that become the problem. When someone reacts strongly to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, just remember that it's the sin that man added which is producing the adverse reaction- not the "Salt" itself.


Sow pure salt.

Depart From Me, I Never Knew "Bradford Pears"....

Ah.... Spring time.
It's the season of new growth and life. The air is crisp, clean, and warming with gentle breezes blowing away dead leaves of fall for a carpet of soft new grass shoots to burst forth....


It's also the season intense storms from warm and cold fronts battle for territorial rights, pollen layering everything under a blanket of yellow stain, and sinus headaches and sneezing from..... well, you know.


Don't get me wrong. I love spring. I think that's why God chose Christ's resurrection to crown the newness of earthly growth with the redemption of spiritual ones. But it's the herald of this season which has been on my mind and sinus cavities recently:
The Bradford Pear Tree.


For those of you who have never experienced this beautiful, white blossomed tree, let me tell you a little:
Developers love to line new housing areas and other large buildings with them because they are fast growing and have a full look to them (thick with branches). The problem is that the angles at which those branches grow tend to be weak and if a strong storm comes along, the limbs often break off. Another issue is their root system is very shallow and they love to pop up "suckers", meaning if you have one, you will have more if you don't mow them quickly, or the entire tree will blow over at high winds. They are also ornamentals, meaning that though they are a "pear tree", they never produce fruit. That's a nice thing if you don't want any, but then why is it called a Pear tree? Finally, is the fact that those beautiful, white blossoms smell like dead fish. A beauty to behold, but not to inhale.


So this has been my thought for the last week or more: Why do so many, so-called, Christians behave like Bradford Pears? They hear the "Gospel" and grow quickly, but their roots are shallow and when trials or strong temptations come, they break apart. They look pretty on the outside, but if you get too close they small like death. Also, they produce no fruit. (Galatians 5:22-23)  These people are like the ones Jesus describes in the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. They are the seeds sown on rocky ground and among the thorns:
 ¹⁸ "You, then, listen to the parable of the sower: ¹⁹ When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn't understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path. ²⁰And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. ²¹ Yet he has no root in himself, but is short-lived. When pressure or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he stumbles. ²²Now the one sown among the thorns—this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age and the seduction of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. ²³ But the one sown on the good ground—this is one who hears and understands the word, who does bear fruit and yields: some 100, some 60, some 30 times [what was sown]."
Matthew 13:18-23


We all need to take stock of ourselves spiritually:
Do we produce fruit? Through the Spirit.
Can we weather the storms? -Through Christ.
Are our roots deep? -In faith?
Do we smell of the right kind of death?


 ¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who always puts us on display in Christ, and spreads through us in every place the scent of knowing Him. ¹⁵ For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. ¹⁶ To some we are a scent of death leading to death, but to others, a scent of life leading to life. And who is competent for this? ¹⁷ For we are not like the many who make a trade in God's message [for profit], but as those with sincerity, we speak in Christ, as from God and before God.
2 Corinthians 2:14-17


My great passion and concern is that one day, when standing before our Lord, Jesus Christ, these Bradford Pear Christians who have done "many great things" will hear, "I never knew you! Depart from Me..."

 ¹³ "Enter through the narrow gate. 

For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction,and there are many who go through it. ¹⁴ How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.

    ¹⁵ "Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing 

but inwardly are ravaging wolves. ¹⁶ You'll recognize them by their fruit. 

Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 

¹⁷ In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. 

¹⁸ A good tree can't produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that doesn't produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

 ²⁰ So you'll recognize them by their fruit.

    ²¹ "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the kingdom of heaven, 

but [only] the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. 

²² On that day many will say to Me, 

'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name? 

²³ Then I will announce to them, 'I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!

   Matthew 7: 13-23

Kimyal Bible10 Minutes

I cried:

Tears of joy for my brothers and sisters on the Kimyal people.

...And tears of repentance that I struggle to even care enough to pick up His Word everyday to read for myself.

Books To Read

My husband and I are starting a course in which we will be mentored for the next 8+ months. We are very excited!

Besides for the Sonship material - which is the course itself - we have two required reading books:

From Fear to Freedom: Living as Sons and Daughters of God 
and
Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters

Have you read one? What did you learn?
If you haven't, perhaps you can join us. This is what I will be doing for the next few weeks. Check them out!

The Body of Christ or a Cheesy Sci-Fi Plot?

This is not going to be a well written post.

I'm not going to sit back and think of the best way to say this, or research which Scripture would best fit to make it interesting and motivating. My thought process will not be well organized and you're lucky that spell check shows up in bright read- otherwise there would be a lot of those mistakes as well as the grammatical ones I'm sure you'll find. I'm merely going to write from the passion which is erupting from my heart right now...

Why do we, as Christians, not act as though we are one in Christ Jesus?

We have our own little groups (cliques) too much: Denominations, preferences, age groups, interest parties, factions, ethnic, social status, learning style, and minute theological idiosyncrasies. Because we try so desperately to group together with those "like" us as opposed to those in the body of Christ we have found the Christian church to be disabled. Instead of working together for God's greater glory and the spreading of joyous Good News, we are instead licking the wounds of our dis-formed bodies. We look rather like a B-rated sci-fi film: Attached heads rolling around, bodies made of nothing but legs, arms, eyes, and other singular pieces. If we are lucky there might be a body with arms and legs, but no head. One of Head, heart, and eyes, but no legs. We are incomplete. And we suffer for it.

Now don't get me wrong. I love the body of Christ. That is why I'm so distressed. I'm burdened heavily with her well being! I see groups hurting and longing for help that is right there for them- if only they would reach out beyond their "ritual". God is not going to leave you alone to suffer without encouragement and others to gather in prayer around you- But, you have to reach out to them!

Not all churches are completely broken either. There are many healthy ones all around. But many of them still have to struggle with the burden of those who should be helping, not requiring the same basic needs over and over. It makes me think of what Paul said to the Hebrew people in Hebrews 5:11-14 :
 ¹¹ We have a great deal to say about this, and it's difficult to explain, since you have become slow to understand. ¹² For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of God's revelation. You need milk, not solid food. ¹³ Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant. ¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature—for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.

Why do we portray to the world that we despise one another so?

When we refuse to get along, that is what the world sees. Jesus said that the world would know we are His disciples by the love we had for one another. John 13:35 So how does this work together? Does this mean we are not truly His disciples if we don't show love for all our fellow Christians? Not just those in our local body and those in another country we'll never have to meet face to face here on earth?

Are there churches that are Scripturally wrong? Yes. I'm not saying that we assume they love God with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind (Luke 10:27) just because they have Church tagged on to their organization, or happen to be in the same "denomination" as us. We have to actually take the time to listen to them, discern through the Spirit, and care. Then we will know. And this is on a very individual basis. But let me tell you, if many people you talk to from a particular church are very much in love with Jesus Christ and seek to follow Him, OR if they are full of... "...sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy,  outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar, about which I tell you in advance—as I told you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."  Galatians 5: 19-21

We need to care about one another. We need desperately to support, uplift, encourage, correct, and hold one another accountable. This needs to be done both to those you already love and to those around you. Reach out.

  ⁷ Again, I saw futility under the sun: ⁸ There is a person without a companion,  without even a son or brother, and though there is no end to all his struggles, his eyes are still not content with riches. "So who am I struggling for," [he asks,] "and depriving myself from good?" This too is futile and a miserable task.

    ⁹ Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. ¹⁰ For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. ¹¹ Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm? ¹² And if somebody overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:7-12

Seeker Beware

The Bible is the only written source for God's Word to us.

One of the wonderful privileges of living in today's technological society is the plethora of information available to us. It is also one of the most dangerous aspects.  There are so many great teachers, speakers, and writers, that it's hard to keep account of who is saying what and in which fashion. One of the difficulties is when those in these influential positions begins to go astray as well. They may start out with correct teachings only to wander off onto a dead end road of society's preferences over truth. We, as seekers and followers of Christ, must keep all outside teaching (anything not purely Scripture) in it's proper place. It is not Scripture. They are human- and they may fall.

Please take some time to read the following article. It brings to light a case of what can happen. I've seen much of this material in my local LifeWay as well as in other Christian stores. We must remember to take everything we read - no matter where we get it - with a grain of salt. Compare everything you hear and read again Scripture- solely.

Rob Bell: Universalist?

Prayer Proof

Occam's Razor

Occam's razor (or Ockham's razor^[1]), often expressed in Latin as the lex parsimoniae, translating to law of parsimony, law of economy or law of succinctness, is a principle that generally recommends selecting the competing hypothesis that makes the fewest new assumptions, when the hypotheses are equal in other respects.^[2] For instance, they must both sufficiently explain available data in the first place.

The principle is often incorrectly summarized as "the simplest explanation is most likely the correct one". This summary is misleading, however, since the principle is actually focused on shifting the burden of proof in discussions.^[3] That is, the Razor is a principle that suggests we should tend towards simpler theories (see justifications section below) until we can trade some simplicity for increased explanatory power. Contrary to the popular summary, the simplest available theory is sometimes a less accurate explanation. Philosophers also add that the exact meaning of "simplest" can be nuanced in the first place.^[4] 

-Wikipedia

Isn't it interesting that no matter how you look at it - be it the simplest explanation as most likely, or the heaviest shifting to "proof" - whenever something bad happens to a person, they go to the closest Christian they know and ask for prayer or "good wishes/thoughts sent up". Why?

I believe that instinctually humans know there is a God and that when things get serious, He is the only one in charge and able to do something about it. Fear and lack of control, sends us to the root of the issue and forces a prioritization in our lives. And prayer to God tops. 

Hmm.... Prayer proof?

What Does It Say.....? #1

What does it say about a Christian nation that has destitute people and Doggie Spa's in the same city?

Limiting God

Looking at the Jewish people of Jesus' time, we see a nationality of people who believed in Yahweh with every tithe and tittle. Yet as Jesus stretched their understanding, they held fast to what they knew of God, and not what He could actually do. They limited Him by not allowing Him to work outside of their box.

Isn't that what many of us tend to do even today? We view God through the confines of our past experience and religious denomination. We place Him in box of our expectations and understanding of how He works, and whenever that image or understanding begins to be stretched, we jump back and cry shenanigins.

I ask you just as I ask of myself today: Are you limiting God?

This, Is A Test...

Judges 2:20-3:4

²⁰ The LORD's anger burned against Israel, and He declared, "Because this nation has violated My covenant that I made with their fathers and disobeyed Me, ²¹ I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. ²² [I did this] to test Israel and to see whether they would keep the LORD' s way by walking in it, as their fathers had." ²³ The LORD left these nations and did not drive them out immediately. He did not hand them over to Joshua.

¹ These are the nations the LORD left in order to test Israel, since none of these Israelites had fought in any of the wars with Canaan. ² This was to teach the future generations of the Israelites [how to fight in] battle, especially those who had not fought before. ³ [These nations included:] the five rulers of the Philistines ^(C) and all of the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the Lebanese mountains from Mount Baal-hermon as far as the entrance to Hamath.  ⁴ The LORD left them to test Israel, to determine if they would keep the LORD's commands He had given their fathers through Moses.

*Have you ever thought that perhaps a difficulty in your life is a test from God to show your loyalty to Him? God is also able to use these tests to our future benefit as well just as He did for the Israelites. As random and unfair as life may seem, God always has a reason for allowing things to happen. 

Are you passing the test?

What Has Your Faith Cost You?

I heard something interesting on the radio the other day. The DJ was talking about how some people claim Christianity is a cop out - that believing in Jesus Christ and claiming to follow Him is a way to avoid doing anything unpleasant or against your own desires: Basically, to live in denial and la-la land. So he posed the question, "What has your faith personally cost you?"

I'll post mine later today in the comments, but I'd like to know about you. Think about it. 

What has your faith in Jesus Christ cost you?

Luke 14: 25-35

Fundraising

My husband and I are praying about how to get to Ireland this fall. We know we need to go, and are saving as much of our tax refund as possible, but know we will need more. Well, I'd like your opinion. Should we send "support" letters to friends, family, and churches to raise the amount, or try a fundraising drive? 

I recently found The Samaritan Card. It looks like a possibility, but have never heard of anyone using it before. I admit, part of me hates the idea of "selling" something to go, but I'm willing to do whatever the Lord requires. We'll continue to pray about it till we get an answer!

I'd love any feed back! Have you used it/sold it? Do you think this is a good idea? Check out the link and let me know.